South Africa bowl to victory in Cape Town

A brilliant end of innings bowling performance saw South Africa win an exciting fifth and final Standard Bank One-Day International at Newlands by 34 runs bowling Pakistan out for 231 runs in 47.4 overs and in so doing convincingly winning the series four-one.

With 15 overs to go Pakistan needed 99 runs with six wickets still in hand and with Inzamam-ul-Haq (56) and Younis Khan (43) both well set at the crease, it seemed as if they had taken the initiative away from South Africa and were playing Pakistan towards a win.

Shaun Pollock came back into the attack and bowled two brilliant overs giving away just six runs. The pressure was back on Pakistan when Jacques Kallis bowled a four run over including the wicket of Inzamam for 63 and Pakistan were 189/5 in the fortieth over.

Inzamam had batted extremely well, working the ball into gaps and accepting the odd boundaries. He had played the perfect supporting role to Khan but the moment the run rate required jumped to seven he seemed to change tactics, and in doing so lost his wicket.

Kallis, mixing his pace and keeping the ball full, had Razzaq caught behind backing away from a slower ball and then the most bizarre moment of the series saw Khan run out for 71.

Khan had pulled Andrew Hall to deep mid-wicket where Robin Peterson did well to get a hand to the ball and flicked it infield to Pollock who fired the ball to the bowler's end. Khan was halfway down the pitch coming back for an impossible third run while Shahid Afridi, at the bowler's end, had his back to Khan. Hall threw back to Mark Boucher who whipped the bails off with Khan stranded in the middle of the pitch. Television replays showed that Boucher might have knocked the bails off before breaking the stumps with the ball, but by that time Khan had already left the field.

Afridi was still at the wicket with Pakistan needing 62 runs off seven overs. A six off Hall that flew over extra cover like a missile, never getting up higher than about two metres, showed what a dangerous batsman he could be and Pakistan were still very much in the game.

Makhaya Ntini returned and bowled an over of full paced yorkers, shattering the stumps of Waqar Younis. Pollock followed with another excellent over costing only four runs when Pakistan needed much more.

Kallis then finished the innings off by bowling both Afridi and Mohammad Sami with full-pitched balls to end with five for 41.

In the last 10 overs of the match Pakistan had lost six wickets for 53 runs, evidence of top quality end of innings bowling from the South Africans.

"We did not get the start that we needed", said Waqar after the game, "but I am glad with the way the middle order batted, it puts us in a good position for the upcoming Test series. South Africa is an outstanding cricket team, who stick to the task and get the job done".

Pollock had won the toss and after taking one look at the pitch decided to bat first on what looked like a perfect batting strip.

Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten and Kallis found the pitch lacking in bounce and pace leaving South Africa at 61/3 in the 16th over.

In came Jonty Rhodes and "finding the pitch to his liking" nudged the ball around with Boeta Dippenaar to add 134 runs in 27 overs. The partnership was built on some brilliant running between the wickets by two of the fastest men in the South African team.

Rhodes, winning the man-of-the-match award, ended on 81 off 95 balls and as he has done so many times before had put his team back on track. As many accolades as he might receive for his innings the anchor work had been done by Dippenaar.

With early wickets falling around him, Dippenaar had put his head down and played the anchor role to Rhodes. Then when he had a hundred in his grasp, he unselfishly lost his wicket for 91 in trying to increase the team total. He left the field to a standing ovation and surely a ticket to the World Cup.

It was however Boucher that changed the outcome of the match, smashing Afridi for two sixes in the 47th over and then repeating it in the next over which cost Saqlain Mushtaq 22 runs. By the time he was caught behind Boucher had hit 34 runs in 16 balls with South Africa ending on 265/8.

Pakistan had a disastrous start losing two wickets in the first two overs. Some disciplined bowling and the loss of Kamran Akmal on 42 in the 13th over placed much pressure on the remaining batsmen.

Younis Youhana, the leading one-day international run scorer in 2002, clawed Pakistan back into the game, but lost his wicket at 46 when the team needed him to bat through the innings.

This brought Inzamam and Khan together and playing some intelligent cricket they put together a 108 run partnership that nearly took Pakistan to victory.

For South Africa this was another professional performance and must make them near favourites for the World Cup being played on home soil. Winning the three series against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan has highlighted many positives, one of them the ability to come back when almost counted out.